Digital Health Intervention Challenges in Pakistan
Digital health consists of digital care programs, advanced technologies, healthcare consultation via the internet, and quick and efficient delivery of medicines. It is a well-positioned program usually for the overall healthcare industry; however, it is due to the increasing access to mobile phones, internet connectivity, and advanced software.
This article evaluates some of the basic factors that potentially facilitate or obstruct the overall progress of digital health in the country, Pakistan.
The WHO- World Health Organization highlighted digital health as an effective global and organizational strategy from 2020 to 2024. Its digital policy draft for healthcare defined it as the health of an individual as the field of basic knowledge as well as practice that associated with development and the use of most of the digital technologies in order to create a better health care system.
Digital Healthcare Industry of Pakistan
The digital healthcare industry in Pakistan is not limited or narrow, in reality it is a broad concept that also encompasses mobile health, electronic health (e-health), advanced computing of science along with tele-medicine, and the use of AI for data. Many healthcare centers, along with consumers’ need to understand these facilities.
According to the reports of Growth Forecast for Digital Health Market, a fast pace in rapid growth of digital health industry is expected to be worth $504.4 billion by the year 2025.
Global market insights have created a viewpoint that has an affordable and accessible solution for those who face issues or challenges to get access to traditional health systems and are not aware of the digital systems. For that purpose it is a significant tool to achieve a sustainable growth of development to make them aware about the modern digital ways.
Pakistan is coping with the latest technology, and the implementation of it has begun. The concept of online pharmacy in Pakistan is the greatest example of the advancement of technology as a digital healthcare intervention.
Digital technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence are integral as well as the most significant part of many companies as well as for businesses development across the world.
Digital Health Interventions in Pakistan
The ratio of doctor to patient in Pakistan is close to about 0.83 of physicians per 1000 individuals across the population of the country, according to official reports. The digital health interventions are designed to address the various needs of health care.
However, these programs are just some of the examples of the successful yet significant interventions of the digital health that are carried out in the regions of Pakistan, in spite of the limited resources that are available because of the financial constraints of the country.
Mobile apps are also one of the intervention solutions as well along with social media which has also proven to be an efficient and effective factor in digital healthcare programs across the world. That being said there is only limited data records available on use of these emerging technologies for improving the healthcare services in various sectors.
As per the official source by Google Play reports, about 95% of smartphones that are used are based on Android models in Pakistan, and the apps that are available in various app stores are also already available on this platform.
Challenges Regarding Digital Health Interventions
The challenges that are highlighted after conducting several kinds of research by the healthcare sectors of Pakistan include the difficulty of acceptance of eHealth technology due to lack of knowledge and awareness, lack of funding in governmental or non-governmental sectors, use of various digital apps on smartphones, implementation of the digital systems, lack of smartphones’ use in rural areas and constraints in resources.
According to Pakistan’s eHealth Association, the information on the currently existing digital health related studies is studied and identified by conducting various researches. The acceptance of the eHealth is vital in our society for the betterment of the nation and also for ease and convenience.
The studies regarding this were simply excluded after reviewing it, if the project was not related to or based in terms of Pakistan or if it didn’t explicitly involve the digital health interventions like telemedicine, eHealth types, or the technologies of telecommunication such as the internet, computers, or the email.
The implementation of software development is essential, whereas the IT and electrical engineers are also keenly work for the development and overcoming the challenges of digital healthcare interventions.
Smartphones and other electronic devices are also the most commonly used devices of digital health; as per the statistics, it is used in 55% of these interventions; the websites, as well as the portals, were also employed in 25%. The reports further added, telehealth is used in 9% as special devices like the e-stethoscopes also; the e-ultrasounds were also used with a ratio of about 9% of the overall projects and 3% for the mobile phone use was recorded.
Solutions to the Challenges
Users of the digital system were required to just undergo some basic as well as specialized training that is specific to the technology that is being used in about 76% of interventions. The training will help the users to overcome the challenges and issues that are caused for digital health interventions in Pakistan.
However, the training varies in terms of time, like overall duration. Global standards should be followed by the individuals as well as by the groups regarding these digital interventions for the betterment of healthcare organizations.
Due to a lack of resources like the financial constraints in Pakistan, the challenges are faced by the overall industry of healthcare. The high-speed of the internet is not available in all the areas of the nation, and as per the data, only 4% of the population uses the smartphone; this among many other are major issues.
The implementation of the technology-based intervention consisting of human resources and the infrastructure’s financial cost for the software also are barriers because of the lack of funding.
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